Clamping means for flexible dispensing conduits

ABSTRACT

Disclosed herein is a housing for dispensing purposes provided with a novel dispensing means which allows a disposable container to be inserted into the housing and yet prevents the material contained within said disposable container from leaking. Novel clamping means also keeps the contents within the container free from the atmosphere and enables one to place the container within said clamp efficiently and effectively.

United States Patent 1 Harvey et al.

[111 3,747,809 1 July 24, 1973 CLAMPING MEANS FOR FLEXIBLE DISPENSING CONDUITS' [75] inventors: Robert J. Harvey, Ramsey; Angelo G. Dlmperio, New Milford, both of NJ.

[73] Assignee: R. J. Harvey Instrument Corporation, l-lillsdale, NJ.

[22] Filed: Dec. 9, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 96,53l

52 user ..222/1s3,222/1s5,222/529, 251/9 51 me] ..B67d 3/00 [58] FieldotSearch ZZZ/105,183,185,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,390,860 7/1968 Kavanau 222/529 X 156,518 11/1874 Wight 222/529 X 2,957,607 10/1960 Smith 251/6 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 554,792 l/l957 Italy 251/9 Primary Examiner-Samuel F. Coleman Assistant Examiner-Francis J. Bartuska Attorney-Theodore J. Criares [57] ABSTRACT Disclosed herein is a housing for dispensing purposes provided with a novel dispensing means which allows a disposable container to be inserted into the housing and yet prevents the material contained within said disposable container from leaking. Novel clamping means also keeps the contents within the container free from the atmosphere and enables one to place the container within said clamp efficiently and effectively.

2 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures P IENI JUL 34 I913 7 7, 9 9

sum 1 or 3 INVENTORS ROBERT J. HARVEY BY ANGELO G. D'IMPERIO ATTORNEY PATENTELJU! 941975 3.747. 809

SHEET 3 [IF 3 FIG. 6'

CLAMPING MEANS FOR FLEXIBLE DISPENSING CONDUITS BACKGROUND OF INVENTION In the past one utilizing a disposable container having a liquid or particulate matter therein could not house it properly. As a result once the container was opened, it remained open to the atmosphere. It is also known within the container art that an effective means of stopping disposable containers and preventing the atmosphere from seeping into them has not been completely solved. Various means for packing the disposable container and keeping it sealed by a slight perforation in the container have not been successful. To some extent air has always managed to seep in. Further, it has been inconvenient for the consumer to utilize the container as they had to be loaded from the top. Housing and clamping means have been designed and utilized in order to prevent the atmosphere from entering into the container. However, to set up the unit the user would generally open the disposable container first and invert it when placing it in the housing from the top. This procedure created difficulty in handling the material and waste. It has further been attempted to utilize various caps which work on the principle of a push-pull mechanism on disposable containers. These all have their drawbacks. One specific drawback is that here again the consumer has to tip the container. To date there has been no satisfactory automatic or manual dis-' pensing means which could facilitate the loading of a disposable container from the side or bottom into a housing and which still allows the delivery of a liquid or particulate matter contained therein to a vessel or glass or any other container without first manipulating the top of the original container mechanism to cause waste and inconvenience.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION This invention relates to a housing for a disposable container and clamping means which enables one to easily insert a container in sealed condition and after removing the seal, the novel clamping means of this invention allows a constant flow of liquid or particulate subject matter from the container. The clamping means and housing of this invention enables one with little skill and agility to repeatedly utilize said container and clamp after loading the container in its housing. The novel dispenser of this invention comprises a housing for positioning a container having a fluid therein, a conduit at the lower end of said container to deliver said fluid, a lever arm in contact with said conduit being pivoted about a fulcrum point, a spring attached to one end of said lever arm and having its opposite end attached to a movable actuator, a lock bar attached to said housing in direct contact with the lever arm and conduit.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the housing, clamp assembly and disposable container;

FIG. 2 is a top perspective of the clamp assembly, operated by an arm lever, in open position;

FIG. 3 is a top perspective of lever mechanism when operated by a foot pedal;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a modification for lever arm and arm lever means;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the modified arm lever means of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of a modified foot pedal means.

DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION Referring to FIG. 1 housing 10 has attached therein shelf 12; this shelf is at a downward or acute angle and of sufficient width and length to hold a disposable container l4. Brackets 16 and 18 are placed posterior and anterior, respectively, on housing 10 to assure the stability of container 14. Holes are inserted into the housing as illustrated by 20 to enable the housing to be mounted on a wall. However, any similar means of mounting can be utilized. As illustrated herein housing 10 is attached through hole 20 by means of screw 22 to the wall. Of course it is understood that this is repeated at least at the 3 other corners of the housing to assure proper affixation to a wall (not illustrated). A further modification is to havee a bracket on the back of housing 10 to be affixed to a wall or stand.

Lid 24 is attached to housing 10 by hinges 26 and 28 with clamp means 30 being affixed to the bottom as herein described. Housing 10 has a hinge stop 27 to hold lid 24 by supporting hinge 26 in upright position while loading container 14 onto shelf 12. Disposable container 14 which can be of collapsable plastic or contain an air vent, has attaChed or incorporated at 34 a conduit 32 to provide an outlet for the material within the container. This conduit 32 is made of flexible material so it can be squeezed closed by the novel clamping means of the instant invention. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 it can be seen how the novel clamping means of this invention is mounted in the housing. Spring 36 has one end attached to the wall of the housing or any other convenient area and its other end attached to lever arm 38 by a rivet 40. Lever arm 38 rotates around fulcrum 42 and is in operative relation with cam 44. Fulcrum 42 assumes the form of a lug affixed in the housing floor by welding, riveting or other means. Retaining ring 43 is inserted over this lug to retain lever arm 38 in position or placed through an orifice in the housing not illustrated. Cam 44 is held in place by nut and bolt mechanism 46 and 47. This cam mechanism is in operable relation with lever arm bar 48, whereby on pressing bar 48 cam 44 is rotated to enable lever bar 38 to move posteriorly.

Conduit outlet means 50 is attached to the bottom of housing 10 to form an outlet. Housing 10 has depression or notched recess 52 cut into the bottom thereof which is in operable relation to conduit 50.

Adjacent to lever bar 38 and slightly anterior to conduit 50 and depression or notched recess 52 is stationary lock bar 54. As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 lock bar 54 is in an open position and attached to housing 10 by means of self-locking nut and bolt mechanism 56 which allows bar 54 to move freely when in open position. Lock bar 54 has an orifice 58 contained on its outer edge distil from nut and bolt mechanism 56. In operation lock bar 54 can be moved so as to place orifice 58 over fulcrum 42, thus creating a stationary bar.

In the operation of this apparatus, a disposable container having conduit 32 is obtained, it is placed into housing 10 on shelf 12 while lock bar 54 is in open position. Lock bar 54 is thereafter placed in a closed position by placing orifice 58 over fulcrum lug 42 so as to hold conduit 32 in a sealed manner between it and lever arm 38.

Illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a mechanism, whereby cam 44 is employed in operative relation with arm bar 48. In this embodiment of the invention arm bar 48 when pressed to the right rotates cam 44 to move lever arm 38 posteriorly, thus releasing the stopping mechanism of conduit 32 and allowing a fluid or particulate matter to flow freely. On releasing arm bar 48 lever arm 38 is returned to position and presses flexible conduit 32 closed against stationary bar 54 to prevent further liquid or particulate matter from flowing out and maintaining the material in disposable container 14 closed to the atmosphere.

FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of this invention, whereby a foot pedal (not illustrated) can be utilized in lieu of arm bar 48. In this instance a foot pedal (not shown) on depression pulls wire means 60 posteriorly. The end of wire means 60 is attached to lever arm 38 by hook 62 in hole 64. As can be visualized this pulls arm lever 38 posteriorly, releasing pressure on conduit means 32, thus allowing the liquid or particulate matter to flow readily.

As can be seen from the above, the clamping apparatus as herein-set forth can be utilized to dispense disposable containers of liquids such as antibacterial agents in hospitals, milk, soap detergents, flour, mouth washes, ice water, gas, soap suds, granulated sugar, granulated salt, confectionary sugar, syrup, and so forth.

Referring to FIG. 4, which illustrates a modification of the cam mechanism, the bottom of housing has an elongated orifice 70 having edge 71 placed under cam 44. The cam can be replaced by a holder 72 made of plastic or other material as in FIG. 5, or the like, which is designed to hold bolt 76. The holder 72 is of the type that will hold lever arm 38 in position with bolt 76. Holder 72 is designed so as to be movable in orifice 70 along notch 71. Arm lever 48 is attached to holder 72 by screw threads 80 in holder 72. Arm lever 48 is inserted at an acute angle. Thus, in operation movement of the arm lever 48 moves holder 72 along orifice track edge 71 by means of notch 77 within holder 72 which rides on track edge 71. The lever 38 is thus moved posteriorly, releasing conduit 32.

FIG. 6 illustrates still another modification of the instant invention. In this instance a foot pedal (not illsutrated) is attached to wire 90 which passes through guide 92 on the bottom of housing 10. Guide 92 is affixed to housing 10 either by spinning 94 screw, weld or so forth. Wire 90 terminates at male screw 96 which is received by female adaptor 98 which is mounted in holder 72 and maintained in position by bolt 100 which screws through lever arm 38, female adaptor 98 and into holder 72. This provides a complete unit and when the foot pedal is depressed, wire 90 is pulled backwards causing lever 38 to move posteriorly and allows conduit 32 to be released. The operation of this unit is along orifice edge 71 as illustrated in FIG. 4. The unit illustrated in FIG. 6 can also be utilized as in FIG. 4. All that need be done is to remove male screw 96 and wire 90, rotate the unit and insert arm lever 48 into female adaptor 98.

Although the most preferred embodiments of this invention have been described and illustrated in detail alternatively, an electric eye mechanism can be incorporated into housing 10. In utilization once the electric circuit is broken lever arm 38 is actuated posteriorly to release conduit 32.

What is claimed is:

1. A dispenser comprising a housing including an upper wall, a pair of side walls, and a bottom wall, said bottom wall having a notch defined therein, bracket means located within the interior of said housing, said bracket means being adapted to position a container including a depending flexible conduit so that the conduit passes through the notch,

a rigid lever arm including a first end and a second end,

lug means extending from said bottom wall for securing said lever arm to said bottom wall at a pivot point intermediate the ends of said lever arm, and at one side of said notch,

spring means extending between said housing and one end of said lever arm to normally urge said lever arm to pviot about said lug means in a first direction, cam means connected to the other end of said lever arm to force said lever arm to pivot about said lug means in a second direction against the urging of said spring means,

the invention being characterized by a lock bar, and

securing means for joining said lock bar to the bottom wall of the housing at the opposite side of said notch so that said lock bar can be pivoted about said securing means,

said lock bar having an aperture defined therein at a location remote from the securing means, said aperture being positioned over said lug means to releasably joint said lock bar to said lever arm so that said lock bar and said lever arm will span opposite sides of said notch so that a flexible conduit passing therethrough will normally be pinched shut between the adjacent surfaces of said spring biased lever and said lock bar.

2. The dispenser as defined in claim 1 further characterized in that said locking bar is substantially T-shaped when seen in plan view with an elongated central leg section and a shorter arm section disposed at right angles thereto, said securing emans passing through the free end of said elongated central leg, and said aperture being located near one end of said arm section.

I I i 4 

1. A dispenser comprising a housing including an upper wall, a pair of side walls, and a bottom wall, said bottom wall having a notch defined therein, bracket means located within the interior of said housing, said bracket means being adapted to position a container including a depending flexible conduit so that the conduit passes through the notch, a rigid lever arm including a first end and a second end, lug means extending from said bottom wall for securing said lever arm to said bottom wall at a pivot point intermediate the ends of said lever arm, and at one side of said notch, spring means extending between said housing and one end of said lever arm to normally urge said lever arm to pviot about said lug means in a first direction, cam means connected to the other end of said lever arm to force said lever arm to pivot about said lug means In a second direction against the urging of said spring means, the invention being characterized by a lock bar, and securing means for joining said lock bar to the bottom wall of the housing at the opposite side of said notch so that said lock bar can be pivoted about said securing means, said lock bar having an aperture defined therein at a location remote from the securing means, said aperture being positioned over said lug means to releasably joint said lock bar to said lever arm so that said lock bar and said lever arm will span opposite sides of said notch so that a flexible conduit passing therethrough will normally be pinched shut between the adjacent surfaces of said spring biased lever and said lock bar.
 2. The dispenser as defined in claim 1 further characterized in that said locking bar is substantially T-shaped when seen in plan view with an elongated central leg section and a shorter arm section disposed at right angles thereto, said securing emans passing through the free end of said elongated central leg, and said aperture being located near one end of said arm section. 